كَأَنَّني راكِبُ اللُجَّ الَّذي عَصَفَت

كَأَنَّني راكِبُ اللُجَّ الَّذي عَصَفَت

رِياحُهُ فَهوَ في هَولٍ وَتَمويجِ

رِياحُهُ فَهوَ في هَولٍ وَتَمويجِ

I am like a rider on the deep, lashed

As if I were riding the waves, whipped up

by its winds, now full of terror and surging waves.

By gales, amid turmoil and swelling,

وَفي طِباعِكَ زَيغٌ وَالهِلالُ عَلى

وَفي طِباعِكَ زَيغٌ وَالهِلالُ عَلى

سُمُوِّهِ حِلفُ تَقويسٍ وَتَعويجِ

سُمُوِّهِ حِلفُ تَقويسٍ وَتَعويجِ

And in your nature is crookedness; the crescent, despite

While in your nature is fickleness, and the crescent

its loftiness, is allied with curving and bending.

At its zenith is a covenant of curvature and twisting.

فَزِن مِنَ الوَزنِ لَفظاً حينَ تُرسِلُه

فَزِن مِنَ الوَزنِ لَفظاً حينَ تُرسِلُه

وَزِن مِنَ الزَينِ إِعطاءً بِتَرويجِ

وَزِن مِنَ الزَينِ إِعطاءً بِتَرويجِ

So weigh each word when you send it forth,

So weigh a word for its sound when you utter it,

and grace your giving with promptness.

And weigh a gift for its beauty when you proffer it,

وَاِنظُر إِلى نَفسِكَ اللَومى بِمَنظَرِها

وَاِنظُر إِلى نَفسِكَ اللَومى بِمَنظَرِها

وَلَو غَدَوتَ أَخا مُلكٍ وَتَتويجِ

وَلَو غَدَوتَ أَخا مُلكٍ وَتَتويجِ

And see your blameworthy self for what it is,

And look into your own blamable soul,

even if you become a king and wear a crown.

Even if you were to be the brother of a sovereign with a crown.

وَاِطلُب لِبِنتِكَ زَوجاً كَي يُراعيها

وَاِطلُب لِبِنتِكَ زَوجاً كَي يُراعيها

وَخَوِّفِ اِبنَكَ مِن نَسلٍ وَتَزويجِ

وَخَوِّفِ اِبنَكَ مِن نَسلٍ وَتَزويجِ

And seek a husband for your daughter, that he may care for her,

And seek for your daughter a husband who will cherish her,

and warn your son against procreation and marriage.

And frighten your son about having offspring and marriage.

ما اليَسرُ كَالعُدمِ في الأَحكامِ بَل شَحَطَت

ما اليَسرُ كَالعُدمِ في الأَحكامِ بَل شَحَطَت

حالُ المَياسيرِ عَن حالِ المَحاوِجِ

حالُ المَياسيرِ عَن حالِ المَحاوِجِ

Affluence is not like destitution in rulings; rather, far removed

Prosperity is not the same as destitution in judgments; no,

is the condition of the wealthy from that of the needy.

The state of the well-off has diverged from the state of the needy.